Filed to story: My Husband Regrets Divorcing Me (Audrey & Cornell)
“Natural face?” Nicole gently lifted Melissa’s chin. “Your nose looks unnatural, and your chin seems fake. Your eyes are stretched upwards. Are you trying to say you were born like this?”
Nicole’s taller stature, by ten centimeters, made her look down at Melissa, leaving Melissa feeling belittled.
Melissa struggled unsuccessfully to free herself.
Nicole, tall and formidable, easily maintained her grasp.
This disparity explained why, despite their similar features, Melissa seemed like a flawed imitation of Nicole.
Nicole’s stunning and captivating appearance needed some height to match its allure. A shorter height would seem a bit odd as her face didn’t quite match her stature.
“Are you some sort of famous beauty? Why do I want to resemble you?”
Melissa said with a ridiculous and laughable tone.
Nicole released her grip coldly, causing Melissa to stumble backward.
“I’m not known for my beauty. I’m simply unique,” Nicole stated firmly, crossing her arms and smiling icily. “Let me take a guess. You altered your face to catch Jarrod’s eye.”
Melissa’s gaze shifted uneasily. “You’re making things up. I don’t know Jarrod, and he doesn’t know me.”
But Nicole was confident about her speculation, judging from Melissa’s flickering eyes and her automatic reaction at the mention of Jarrod.
This wasn’t the behavior of someone unfamiliar with Jarrod, but rather a response tinged with hidden emotions.
“Could it be that you’re still in love with Jarrod?” Nicole asked.
Nicole probed further.
Nicole was taken aback. Back then, Jarrod showed no mercy toward Jamie, yet Jamie’s affection for him persisted despite her injuries.
It suggested an unusual degree of masochism.
Melissa, steadfast in her denial, asserted, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Don’t make wild guesses. I’m not who you think I am. I don’t understand your words.”
With that, Melissa abruptly left the restroom. Her hurried departure suggested she was escaping.
This made Nicole more certain that Melissa was actually Jamie.
Nicole was intrigued. After being disfigured by Jarrod’s brutality, Jamie had likely fled. Given Jarrod’s relentless nature, it was unlikely he had ceased his search for Jamie.
Her ability to remain hidden, possibly with the aid of cosmetic surgery, implied she had assistance.
Who could Jamie’s helper be? And what motivated him to aid Jamie?
A shadow passed over Nicole’s expression as she returned to her restroom, secured the door, and retrieved a device resembling an earphone from her bag.
Earlier, while pinching Jamie’s chin, Nicole had covertly attached a listening device to the underside of her collar. Now, she only needed to wait for Jamie to make a call to uncover the secrets of her prolonged concealment.
Soon, Jamie’s anxious voice filled the earphone. “Hello, it’s me.”
“Who told you to call me!” The response was harsh and impatient. The raspy voice obscured their identity, leaving Nicole uncertain of their gender.
“I… I was discovered,” Jamie stammered.
“What?”
“Nicole found out I’m Jamie. What should I do?” In a panic, Jamie sought guidance.
“Did you confess?” the voice inquired.
“No,” Jamie replied, her voice trembling. “I denied it. I insisted I wasn’t her.”
“That’s all that matters,” the voice responded dismissively.
Jamie was still uneasy. “But she seems certain that I am Jamie.”
Jamie and Nicole had interacted frequently before, so it wasn’t surprising Nicole recognized Jamie.
“Just don’t confess. Remember, ‘Jamie’ is supposedly dead, and there’s no trace of her left. You’re Melissa now, and no one can prove otherwise,” the mysterious voice instructed.
This person had orchestrated everything for Jamie. Back when staging Jamie’s death, all records of Jamie’s existence were erased. Now, even if suspicions about Melissa being Jamie arose, no evidence could confirm her true identity. All traces of Jamie were gone.
Reflecting on this, Jamie felt reassured. Even though Nicole suspected, what could Nicole really prove? She couldn’t.
Feeling calmer, Jamie responded, “I understand.”
“Don’t worry about Nicole. She’s inconsequential and detests Jarrod. She won’t interfere with our plans.”
“Yes, sir,” Jamie acknowledged.
Upon hearing Jamie address the caller as “sir,” Nicole speculated the mysterious voice might be male.
“Has Jarrod visited recently? Have you managed to administer the medicine?” the voice inquired further.
Nicole gasped at the revelation. Was this person planning something against Jarrod?
Jamie answered, “He hasn’t been around for a while, and even if he does show up, it’s hard for me to get close to him. He seems to despise me.”
The voice responded with a disdainful snort. “You’re really useless! You claimed you’d be able to approach Jarrod once your appearance was altered, but you’re still ineffective!”
Jamie refrained from defending herself and apologized meekly, “I’m sorry, sir. I’ve failed you…”
“Go and make contact with Nicole immediately,” the mysterious voice commanded.
“Why, sir?” Jamie questioned.
Seeing Nicole filled Jamie with anxiety, her past cruelty against Nicole vivid in her mind. Now that Nicole knew her true identity, Jamie feared the repercussions.
Jamie had barely managed to avoid Nicole before, and now she was expected to approach Nicole. Jamie hesitated.
“Only in this way can you have a chance to get close to Jarrod and administer the medicine,” the mysterious voice explained. “The medication requires precise dosage. Even one missed dose is unacceptable. Do you understand?”
Jamie, unable to voice her concerns, simply nodded and replied, “I understand, sir. I will follow your instructions.”
“You’d better,” the voice responded, as if reading Jamie’s mind.
The voice then issued a chilling reminder, “Remember, you’ve also taken the medicine. Your fate is in my hands!”
A shiver ran down Jamie’s spine as she nodded vigorously. “Yes, sir. I understand. I’ll do my best.”
“End the call. From now on, do not contact me unless I initiate.”
“Okay, okay,” Jamie hastily replied.
After several beeps, the line went dead.
Taking a deep breath, Jamie sat on the bed, clenching her fists.
“Why should I get close to that woman? I wish she were dead!” Jamie muttered to herself in the restroom, her voice tinged with hysteria.
Jamie’s mutterings oscillated between wishing death on Nicole and Jarrod and cursing Jarrod’s cruelty. Yet, in her vitriol, Nicole detected a trace of lingering affection for Jarrod.
This revelation was unexpected. Nicole had never imagined Jamie still harbored feelings for Jarrod. Jamie was really going mad.
From what Nicole had gathered, the mysterious individual was instructing Jamie to administer some kind of drug to Jarrod. The exact nature and effects of the medicine remained undisclosed, but Nicole surmised it wasn’t lethal. It required multiple doses to be effective, suggesting it was intended to exert control.
Yet, the reason behind this desire to control Jarrod eluded Nicole.
Nicole stored the earphone away. Regrettably, the thin film eavesdropping device she’d placed on Jamie had a significant flaw.
It would malfunction if exposed to water. If Jamie were to remove her jacket and wash it, the device would be rendered inoperative. She was cut off from further information.
Nevertheless, Nicole now understood that whoever was manipulating Jamie shared her objective to confront Jarrod. An adversary of her adversary might be considered an ally.
With this shared purpose, Nicole decided to keep watch for the time being.
However, the emergence of Jamie added complexity to the situation, revealing another antagonist in the shadows.
Despite everything, Nicole could not dismiss the memories of past grievances she had suffered because of Jamie. Such malevolence could not go unchallenged.
Two days later, Nicole was tending to her usual evening shift.
A familiar, regular customer was there, a reliable individual who seldom caused any disturbances.
Midway through her duties, Jemma interrupted her.
“The VIP in chamber 888 requests your service. Please attend to them,” Jemma directed.
“Well…” Nicole was still holding the wine bottle, refilling the customer’s glass.